Sandcastles
six
The day was the definition of perfect. Then again, it would be pouring down rain and I would still think the day was perfect. I was in one of the most beautiful places to exist with one of the best hockey players to ever skate on an NHL rink. It wasn't raining, however. The sun was whining brightly on the crystal blue ocean below, warming the water and the sand. For now, the weather hadn't gotten too hot, and everything seemed completely perfect. I felt Jonny's hand take mine, and a smile instantly made it's home on my face. My eyes watched my feet as I walked, trying to hide my happiness. I could tell his eyes were on me, but I could also feel them lift. When they did, I looked up to fine Jonny looking out over the ocean. He caused me to jump a little bit when his words interrupted the peace.
"I haven't been totally honest with you," Jonny started, his eyes not leaving the ocean. I could hear the guilt in his voice, but it didn't make sense. We hadn't even known one another 24 hours, and he had already lied? That...wasn't a good sign. I let me hand drop from his and stopped in my tracks, the water still lapping up against my ankles.
"About what?" I asked, looking down at my hands. I was picking at the side of my nails now, feeling quite stupid. I didn't even want to look at him now.
"Bailey," He started, turning towards me and taking my hands into his. I had never been much of a fighter when it came to things like this. I never got made. More...I just sort of shut myself down. "Bailey, it's nothing bad. Okay...It's a little bad, but let me explain."
I glanced up and his dark brown eyes met mine. As much as I wanted to look away, I now couldn't. I had to hear him out. Why? I didn't know. My heart raced, as well as my mind. Maybe he was just some sleazy player who tried to get as much ass as he could. Then again, we didn't sleep together. Well, we slept together, but didn't have sex. We didn't even get close. Not only that, but wouldn't he avoid the girl who didn't give it up if that's all he was looking for?
"I had to take care of something this morning," Jonny started, his eyes staying focused on mine as if everything depended on this moment. For all I knew, maybe it did. "I...I had a girl back home."
There it was. That's what he was hiding. Was I really stupid enough to think that Jonathan Toews didn't have a girlfriend back home? She was probably the definition of gorgeous. Beautiful blonde hair, striking blue eyes, legs that could stop traffic. I was so far from that. This other girl and I might as well be like the sun and the moon. "Oh..." It was all that would come out of my mouth at the time.
"Listen, Bailey. We were bound to break up soon. She...she's a bitch," Jonny went on, a hand lifting to my cheek. "And she didn't like me. All she liked was my money, and the fame. It's all she cared about. I know that. But, there's something else."
"Oh..." I was starting to sound like a broken record, repetitive and sad.
"She never, ever made me feel the way that you do," with that, Jonny pressed his lips right against mine. I returned the kiss, but he was quick to realize that something was still wrong. I didn't even wait for him to ask.
"Why didn't you tell me last night?" I asked, my eyes searching his before I finally broke the gaze and looked at the ocean, wanting nothing more than to disappear into its depths.
Jonny shook his head. "I didn't want to push you away. Girls hear I have a girlfriend and usually do one of two things. They either walk away, or try to outdo her." His eyes finally turned to the ocean like mine had, but I turned back to him as he continued, "I knew just by looking at you that you wouldn't be the type to try and outdo her, and the last thing I wanted was for you to walk away."
"We haven't even known one another a day," I pointed out, feeling like an ass for even bringing it up.
"Isn't that the weird part?" Jonny chuckled a little bit before turning back to me, a little smile on his face. "You've already thrown me for a loop."
"Why?" The question escaped before I could stop it. "I mean, I'm sure your girlfriend is gorgeous and..."
"Ex-girlfriend." He corrected me. "We broke up this morning. Bailey, even if all I get to spend with you is the next two weeks, I want them to be the best two weeks I've ever had."
"Even better than your two weeks during the Stanely Cup finals last season?" I teased, feeling my mood lighten greatly.
I could see him trying to think. Laughing, I hit him lightly in the arm. "I'm messing with you."
With that, I could see the grin creep across his face. Seeing Jonny smile made it impossible for me to not do the same. Before I knew it, he had thrown me over his shoulder and I was in the salty ocean water for the second time in less than 12 hours. I don't know how long we were splashing around, but when the rest of our crew came to track us down, the sun was much higher in the sky, and we were off to conquer the Bahamas like the Blackhawks would.
"I haven't been totally honest with you," Jonny started, his eyes not leaving the ocean. I could hear the guilt in his voice, but it didn't make sense. We hadn't even known one another 24 hours, and he had already lied? That...wasn't a good sign. I let me hand drop from his and stopped in my tracks, the water still lapping up against my ankles.
"About what?" I asked, looking down at my hands. I was picking at the side of my nails now, feeling quite stupid. I didn't even want to look at him now.
"Bailey," He started, turning towards me and taking my hands into his. I had never been much of a fighter when it came to things like this. I never got made. More...I just sort of shut myself down. "Bailey, it's nothing bad. Okay...It's a little bad, but let me explain."
I glanced up and his dark brown eyes met mine. As much as I wanted to look away, I now couldn't. I had to hear him out. Why? I didn't know. My heart raced, as well as my mind. Maybe he was just some sleazy player who tried to get as much ass as he could. Then again, we didn't sleep together. Well, we slept together, but didn't have sex. We didn't even get close. Not only that, but wouldn't he avoid the girl who didn't give it up if that's all he was looking for?
"I had to take care of something this morning," Jonny started, his eyes staying focused on mine as if everything depended on this moment. For all I knew, maybe it did. "I...I had a girl back home."
There it was. That's what he was hiding. Was I really stupid enough to think that Jonathan Toews didn't have a girlfriend back home? She was probably the definition of gorgeous. Beautiful blonde hair, striking blue eyes, legs that could stop traffic. I was so far from that. This other girl and I might as well be like the sun and the moon. "Oh..." It was all that would come out of my mouth at the time.
"Listen, Bailey. We were bound to break up soon. She...she's a bitch," Jonny went on, a hand lifting to my cheek. "And she didn't like me. All she liked was my money, and the fame. It's all she cared about. I know that. But, there's something else."
"Oh..." I was starting to sound like a broken record, repetitive and sad.
"She never, ever made me feel the way that you do," with that, Jonny pressed his lips right against mine. I returned the kiss, but he was quick to realize that something was still wrong. I didn't even wait for him to ask.
"Why didn't you tell me last night?" I asked, my eyes searching his before I finally broke the gaze and looked at the ocean, wanting nothing more than to disappear into its depths.
Jonny shook his head. "I didn't want to push you away. Girls hear I have a girlfriend and usually do one of two things. They either walk away, or try to outdo her." His eyes finally turned to the ocean like mine had, but I turned back to him as he continued, "I knew just by looking at you that you wouldn't be the type to try and outdo her, and the last thing I wanted was for you to walk away."
"We haven't even known one another a day," I pointed out, feeling like an ass for even bringing it up.
"Isn't that the weird part?" Jonny chuckled a little bit before turning back to me, a little smile on his face. "You've already thrown me for a loop."
"Why?" The question escaped before I could stop it. "I mean, I'm sure your girlfriend is gorgeous and..."
"Ex-girlfriend." He corrected me. "We broke up this morning. Bailey, even if all I get to spend with you is the next two weeks, I want them to be the best two weeks I've ever had."
"Even better than your two weeks during the Stanely Cup finals last season?" I teased, feeling my mood lighten greatly.
I could see him trying to think. Laughing, I hit him lightly in the arm. "I'm messing with you."
With that, I could see the grin creep across his face. Seeing Jonny smile made it impossible for me to not do the same. Before I knew it, he had thrown me over his shoulder and I was in the salty ocean water for the second time in less than 12 hours. I don't know how long we were splashing around, but when the rest of our crew came to track us down, the sun was much higher in the sky, and we were off to conquer the Bahamas like the Blackhawks would.